Toy beads and assembly

ABSTRACT

A toy or amusement device which is an improvement on the type of toy that is based on the concept of a string of beads. An elongated flexible and compressible support rod or string is provided. A plurality of beads are adapted to be slidably strung on the rod, the number of beads preferably being small enough to leave substantial uncovered slack on the rod. The beads have external grooves dimensioned to receive and squeeze-hold portions of the rod slack. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rod is cylindrical in shape and is formed of a soft vinyl material. The width of the grooves is smaller than the diameter of the rod such that the rod can be forced into the grooves and secured therein. In this manner, a large variety of stringing and looping combinations can be achieved, to the amusement of a child experimenting with the toy.

United States Patent [1 1 Vennola [451 July 17, 1973 [75] Inventor:

[ TOY BEADS AND ASSEMBLY Jorma Vennola, Princeton, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Columbia Broadcasting Systems, Inc., New York, NY.

22 Filed: Feb. 22, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 227,804

[52] U.S. Cl. 46/16 [51] Int. Cl A63h 33/00 [58] Field of Search 46/29, 19, 16, 25

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,176,428 4/1965 Slingluff 46/29 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Tal. Cap., Inc. Catalog, 1966 Sifo Funblocks."

I Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever Attorney- Martin Novack [57 ABSTRACT A toy or amusement device which is an improvement on the type 'of toy that is based on the concept of a string of beads. An elongated flexible and compressible sup'port rod or string is provided. A plurality of beads are adapted to be slidably strung on the rod, the number of beads preferably being small enough to leave substantial uncovered slack on the rod. The beads have external grooves dimensioned to'receive and squeezehold portions of the rod slack. In a preferred embodi-v ment of the invention, the rod is cylindrical in shape and is formed of a soft vinyl material. The width of the grooves is smaller than the diameter of the rod such that the rod can be forced into the grooves and secured therein. In this manner, a large variety of stringing and looping combinationscan be achieved, to the amuse;

ment of a child experimenting with the toy.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENTED JUL 1 7 I975 SHEU 1 0f 2 TOY BEADS AND ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to toys and, more particularly, to an improvement in the type of toy that is based on the concept of a string of beads.

An ancient form of amusement as well as omamentation has been a set of beads on a string. The strings or support members have been constructed of various materials and beads have been formed in an almost unlimited variety of shapes and sizes. In the most common motif, the beads are strung on an endless fine string and their relative positions are not alterable, although, with some slack on the string, the beads can be moved around and have various separations as designated, for

over the years. However, it would be desirable to provide a toy of this type that has structural features which allow new and interesting variations on the usual themes of play that are available with a stringof beads.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a toy which includes an elongated flexible and compressible support rod or string. A plurality of beads are adapted to be slidably strung on the rod, the number of beads preferably being small enough to leave substantial uncovered slack on the rod. At least one of the beads has an external groove dimensioned to receive and squeeze-hold a portion of the rod slack. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rod is cylindrical in shape and is formed of a soft vinyl material. The width of the groove is smaller than the diameter of the rod such that the rod can be forced into the groove and secured therein. In this manner, and by providing similar external grooves in additional beads, a large variety of stringing and looping combinations and structural shapes, including three-dimensional shapes, can be achieved, to the amusement of a child experimenting with the toy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention in assembled form. An elongated flexible and compressible rod 20 has slidably strung thereon a plurality of beads, preferably formed of hard plastic, and designated by the reference numerals 21 through 28. The elongated rod 20 is preferably cylindrical in shape and may be solid or a tubing. It is preferably formed of a soft plastic such as vinyl and may be, for example, about 0.25 inchin diameter. In

the embodiment of FIG. 1 each of the beads is provided with an axial borehole of larger diameter than the rod 20, for example 0.29 inch. The beads are shown after having been slidably strung on the rod 20 by a child who, in FIG. 1, is depicted as holding the beads suspended from one end of the rod 20 by a hand 15. A portion of the other end of the rod 20 is seen to be coupled to one of the beads 26 that has a particular novel construction.

The bead 2 6 is pictued in cross-section in FIG. 2 and is seen to have an axial cylindrical borehole 30 that is of slightly larger diameter than the rod 20 so that the bead is slidable on the rod. The bead is also provided with an external groove 31 that runs the length of the bead parallel to the borehole 30. The groove has a width w that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the rod 20 and the groove depth d is deep enough to accomodate and squeeze-hold the compressible rod 20 when it is pressed into the groove. In the particular embodiment shown, the groove width w is 0.24 inch and the depth d is 0.25 inch. The mechanism by which the end of rod 20 is coupled to bead 26 is thus seen to be the squeeze-hold applied by the groove 31 when the compressible rod is pushed into this groove.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an embodiment of the invention that includes a plurality of cylindrically shaped beads that are of the same construction as the bead 26 of FIG. 2, .but have varying lengths. A typical toy set will include an elongated rod 20 and a number of beads, not allof which need be used in devising a particular stringing combination or design. In FIG. 3 some loose beads 35, 36 and 37 are shown as resting on a table along with an assembled structure that represents one of the large variety of designs that can be made with the present invention. In the particular configuration 40, one of the small beads 41 is attached to the rod 20 via its groove, this bead not being axially strung through its borehole. The bead is in this fashion usable as a termination or stop and adds even further variations to the number of possible configurations. The larger beads 42 and 43 are also shown as being attached to the rod 20 in this fashion. The remainder of the beads are axially strung through their boreholes on the rod 20 and loops are formed in the rod by coupling it to the grooves in the bead pair 44 and 4S and again coupling it to the groove in the bead 46. The design shownhas a degree of permanence in that the bead 41 acts as a termination that prevents the end of the rod 20 from slipping through the borehole of the bead 46. The other end of rod 20 is held in place in the groove of head 46. Typically, the beads are made available in a variety of colors to add even further variation to the number of possible designs and ideas.

While the invention has been described with regard to particular preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that variations can be made within the spirit of the I invention. For example, the outer shape of some or all a single elongated flexible and compressible support rod;

a plurality of beads slidably strung on said rod, the number of beads being sufficiently small to leave substantial uncovered slack on said rod;

at least one of said beads having an external groove which removably receives and holds a portion of said rod slack so as to form a loop in said rod.

2. A toy as defined by claim 1 wherein said at least one bead is cylindrical in shape and has an axial borehole for receiving said rod to slide thereon, said external groove being parallel to said borehole.

3. A toy as defined by claim 2 wherein said rod is cylindrical in shape and the width of said groove is smaller than the diameter than the said rod.

4. A toy as defined by claim 3 wherein said rod is formed of clear vinyl.

5. A toy as defined by claim 1 wherein each of said beads has an external groove dimensioned to receive and squeeze-hold a portion of said rod slack.

6. A toy as defined by claim 5 wherein each of said beads is cylindrical in shape and has an axial borehole for receiving said rod to slide thereon, said external grooves being parallel to said boreholes.

7. A toy as defined by claim 6 wherein said rod is cylindrical in shape and the width of said groove is smaller than the diameter of said rod. 

1. A toy comprising: a single elongated flexible and cOmpressible support rod; a plurality of beads slidably strung on said rod, the number of beads being sufficiently small to leave substantial uncovered slack on said rod; at least one of said beads having an external groove which removably receives and holds a portion of said rod slack so as to form a loop in said rod.
 2. A toy as defined by claim 1 wherein said at least one bead is cylindrical in shape and has an axial borehole for receiving said rod to slide thereon, said external groove being parallel to said borehole.
 3. A toy as defined by claim 2 wherein said rod is cylindrical in shape and the width of said groove is smaller than the diameter than the said rod.
 4. A toy as defined by claim 3 wherein said rod is formed of clear vinyl.
 5. A toy as defined by claim 1 wherein each of said beads has an external groove dimensioned to receive and squeeze-hold a portion of said rod slack.
 6. A toy as defined by claim 5 wherein each of said beads is cylindrical in shape and has an axial borehole for receiving said rod to slide thereon, said external grooves being parallel to said boreholes.
 7. A toy as defined by claim 6 wherein said rod is cylindrical in shape and the width of said groove is smaller than the diameter of said rod. 